1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to game apparatus and a control method thereof, and particularly relates to a game apparatus and control method thereof where an image and audio are respectively outputted by a screen and audio output sections provided within an enclosure in a manner corresponding to development of a game.
2. Description of Related Art
Currently, game apparatus capable of housing game players within an enclosure, installed with a large type screen for displaying images, a number of speakers for creating stereophonic sound, and a simulated gun operated by a game player have been proposed and are being implemented (for example, refer to patent document 1). In such game apparatus, a game player is able to enjoy a game involving shooting a gun by operating a simulated gun in line with an image changing as the game develops.
Further, in recent years, in order to improve realism, development has been proceeding in game apparatus (game apparatus with a rotating seat) where a seat for a game player to sit on is installed within an enclosure in a freely rotating manner, with screens being arranged to the front and rear of the seat and a plurality of speakers being installed in the vicinity of the seat, and with the seat and speakers then being rotated in line with images changing as the game develops.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. Hei. 11-86038.
However, with the game apparatus with a rotating seat described above, there are cases where disparities between a condition displayed in an image shown on a screen and a condition outputted for audio outputted from the speakers occur as a result of the speakers installed in the vicinity of the seat rotating together with the seat.
For example, in the event that a pair of left and right front speakers are installed at positions in the vicinity of the seat towards the front and a pair of left and right rear speakers are installed at positions in the vicinity of the seat towards the rear, in the event that an image for an object approaching from the rear to the front is displayed on the right side of the front screen, then audio is to be controlled in such a manner that a loud sound is outputted from the nearest speaker to the right side of the front screen. However, there may also be cases where, as the game develops, at the same time as displaying this kind of image, the seat is rotated through 180° so that the game player is facing towards the rear. When no kind of audio control is carried out in this case, a loud sound is outputted from the speaker moved towards the rear screen side as a result of being rotated through approximately 180° together with the seat. This causes a disparity between the image displayed and the audio outputted and there is the fear that this may subject the game player to discomfort.
In order to resolve this situation, it is advantageous for the present invention to subject a game player to audiovisual synergetic effects so as to increase the sense of realism by ensuring that a condition displayed in images and a condition outputted for audio match in game apparatus configured so that the positions of a seat and audio output means with respect to screens installed within an enclosure change in a relative manner.